better and worse: evaluating the ... - metanoia instituutti · better and worse: evaluating the...

Better and Worse: Evaluating the Unevaluatable

Metanoia August 2015

Glenda H. Eoyang, PhD Executive Director

Human Systems Dynamics Institute

© 2015. HSD Institute. Use with permission. Better and Worse 1

How will we work together?

»  Turn judgement into curiosity »  Turn conflict into shared exploration »  Turn defensiveness into self-reflection »  Turn assumptions into questions

© 2015. HSD Institute. Use with permission. 2 Better and Worse

Good Evaluation Good Consulting

Why HSD? See Systems


Good Evaluation Good Consulting Value and worth Fit for function



Good Evaluation Good Consulting Value and worth Fit for function Predictable future Unknowable future



Good Evaluation Good Consulting Value and worth Fit for function Predictable future Unknowable future Global or local focus Global and local focus



Good Evaluation Good Consulting Value and worth Fit for function Predictable future Unknowable future Global or local focus Global and local focus Whole is the sum of parts Whole not the sum of parts



Good Evaluation Good Consulting Value and worth Fit for function Predictable future Unknowable future Global or local focus Global and local focus Whole is the sum of parts Whole not the sum of parts Replication Innovation



Good Evaluation Good Consulting Value and worth Fit for function Predictable future Unknowable future Global or local focus Global and local focus Whole is the sum of parts Whole not the sum of parts Replication Innovation Independent or dependent Interdependent



Good Evaluation Good Consulting Value and worth Fit for function Predictable future Unknowable future Global or local focus Global and local focus Whole is the sum of parts Whole not the sum of parts Replication Innovation Independent or dependent Interdependent Silos Networks



Good Evaluation Good Consulting Value and worth Fit for function Predictable future Unknowable future Global or local focus Global and local focus Whole is the sum of parts Whole not the sum of parts Replication Innovation Independent or dependent Interdependent Silos Networks Competencies Adaptive capacity



Good Evaluation Good Consulting Value and worth Fit for function Predictable future Unknowable future Global or local focus Global and local focus Whole is the sum of parts Whole not the sum of parts Replication Innovation Independent or dependent Interdependent Silos Networks Competencies Adaptive capacity Control and manage See, understand, influence



Good Evaluation Good Consulting Value and worth Fit for function Predictable future Unknowable future Global or local focus Global and local focus Whole is the sum of parts Whole not the sum of parts Replication Innovation Independent or dependent Interdependent Silos Networks Competencies Adaptive capacity Control and manage See, understand, influence Right answer Adaptive Action



Adaptive Action

What are current patterns? What do you observe? What surprises you? What happened before? What are people saying? What is the research? What . . .


What?

Adaptive Action

So what are the tensions? So what is important? So what options do we have? So what does success look like now? So what . . .


So what? What?

Adaptive Action

Now what will we do? Now what will we communicate? Now what will we measure? Now what will we look for next? Now what . . .


So what?

Now what?

What?

Adaptive Action


So what?

Now what?

What?

Complex Adaptive System (CAS) Self-Organizing System

A collection of individual agents who have the freedom to act in unpredictable ways, and whose actions are interconnected such that they produce system-wide patterns.


Agents interact

Complex Adaptive System (CAS) Self-Organizing System


Agents interact

Those system-wide patterns, in turn, influence the behaviors of the agents

System-wide patterns emerge

Dynamics in CAS

Know when your changes are in the zone of emergence


Unstable Seek Patterns

Stable Plan, Control

Far From Close To

Far F

rom

C

lose

To

Certainty

Agr

eem

ent

Unstable Seek Patterns

Stable Plan, Control

Far From Close To

Far F

rom

C

lose

To

Certainty

Agr

eem

ent

Patterns on the Evaluation Landscape


large

small

many

few

loose

tight

Where are you now? Where do you want to be? How do you get there?

Far From Close To

Far F

rom

C

lose

To

Certainty

Agr

eem

ent

Evaluation Options

© 2015. HSD Institute. Use with permission.

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Better and Worse

Traditional Evaluation Strategies

Traditional Evaluation

»  Pre-determined indicators »  Clear objectives »  Randomized control trials »  Outcome evaluation »  Scorecards »  Quantitative »  Process measures »  Formative and summative »  Return on Investment »  Hypothesis testing


Far From Close To

Far F

rom

C

lose

To

Certainty

Agr

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ent

Evaluation Options


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Better and Worse

Exploratory Evaluation Strategies

Exploratory Evaluation

»  Perpetual scan »  Searching for surprise »  Listening widely »  Multiple sources »  Open-ended questions »  Looking for weak signals »  Grounded theory »  Hypothesis building »  Organized discovery


Far From Close To

Far F

rom

C

lose

To

Certainty

Agr

eem

ent

Evaluation Options


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Better and Worse

Dialogic Evaluation Strategies

Dialogic Evaluation

»  Interviews »  Large group meetings »  Storytelling »  Observation »  Discussion »  Reflective practice »  Developmental evaluation »  Hypothesis emerging


Additional Resources

»  Online: »  Hsdlearning.org »  Wiki.hsdinstitute.org

»  Training: »  Free monthly webinars »  HSD Professional Certification »  Open and custom Learning Labs »  Eastern Mennonite University Summer Program 2016

»  Books: »  Adaptive Action: Leveraging Uncertainty in Your Organization »  Facilitating Organization Change: Lessons from Complexity Scienct »  Radical Rules for Schools »  Simple Rules


better and worse: evaluating the ... - metanoia instituutti · better and worse: evaluating the...

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